At Barnes & Noble, a Story of Fantastical Retail Growing
For readers old and young, there are perhaps two literary franchises more ubiquitous than Harry Potter and Star Wars. Up to now, the Harry Potter brand has generated almost $8 billion in book sales, while Star Wars novels have earned $1.8 billion--to say nothing of earnings from related merchandise, video games, and needless to say, the box office. When new recognition reaches such a high degree, marketing might appear straightforward --but this is just an illusion. Shoppers don't only want to purchase the most recent edition. They wish to go into the wizarding world or fight alongside the rebel alliance. But how is it possible to do this retail theater in-store, with no magic wand (and without imposing on other in-store merchandise screens )? The solution is retail transformation. The advantages of a trusted team Barnes & Noble confronted this question this past year. The Fortune 1000 bookseller wanted to make a permanent in-store destination, or"trend store," f